Automatic water-gate



S. IVI. SAMPSON.

AUTOMATIC WATER GATE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24. |918.

'1 ,$29,679. l Patented Feb. 3,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

IN V EN TOR.

A510056' M Yang/Son www . A TTORNEY S. NI. SAIVIPSON.

AUTOMATIC WATER GATE.

APPLTCATTZJN FILED ocT. 24. 191s.

1 ,329,679 Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEY l UNITED sTATns PATENT N onnion.

scoTT sninisfni,` or OAKDALE, CALIFORNIA..

AUTOMATIC WATnaGATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nene, 15920.

`Application filed October 24, 1918. -SerialNa 259,475.

of this application.

:This invention relates to improvements in water gates, and particularly for a type to be used in connection with' dam spillways `and crests, canals, f etc.,where'it is desired to maintain a certain header level of water, the .principal object vof the i invention :being vto produce a gate which will openand close automatically when the water level exceeds a certain height and Which'wiIl close when the Waterle-vel returns to normal by reason of suoli overflow, thereby maintainingthe head of water at a. predetermined level.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a gate with means whereby the same `may be adjusted `to open with a higher or lower head of water behind it.

A still further object is to produce a simple andV inexpensive device and yet `one which-will beexceedingly effective for the purpose/for which it is designed.

`These objectsI accomplish by means of suchstructure and relative arrangement of the parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

On the drawings, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure l is a view Vshowing the gate as installed in a canal in closed position,-sliow .ing the canal in crosssection and viewing `t-hegate fromthe'upstream side thereof.

Fig. 2 is aside elevation ofthe same with theside wall fofV thehcanalbroken away to -show certain-features in connection'with the Eigg 3ds@ fragmentary-top plan view/of theggatefand fitscoactiyngfparts.

Fig. l` isa ,view similar to .F ig. 2,;show ing the gate partly opene 'f Referring now `more particularly .tothe characters of reference on the drawings, the

numeral 1 indicates the wall `of the v.canal which is preferablyof concrete and which is providedwith a beam 2 transversely across the top thereof.

A gate 3 of any desired material is adapte ed to be positioned in the canal andv to t snugly tliereacross, the edges of `the 1, gate being lined with :some flexible materiale which will prevent any water seeping between the edges of thegate andthe walls ofthe canal.

Ashaft 5` is `pivotedioi' hinged to the` outf .side ofthe. gate, as at 6,;whichiis la; point somewhat to one 'side of'thevertical center line of the vgate. This shaftthen crosses .said center line andruns `diagonally from its pivotal point to a certain :distance abovefthe gate, being maintained imposition at the top of the gateby means of a collar 7 slidable on the shaft, which collar has a stud 8 thereon projectingthrough a slot 9.*provided in a guide member IOradialifrom, the pivotal point 6. A nut ll on the stud 8 vclamps the collar against theguidelOand prevents un- `desiredlateral movement ofthe shaft. `A

collar l2 on the shaft above the collar 7 =is adapted to bcadjustably ,clampedto a guide member 13 on the beam: 2 in the same man- 'ner as the collar 7 g, the shaft 5 being-@turnable in this collar 12. vThe shaft 5 therefore may be positioned on the-gate ,at any-.point withinfthe limits of the` guides P10 and lf3,`

for a purposeas will appear. i

A ball `and socket joint 14-f0rmsithepiv otal point for the lower edge of the gate,

such joint being substantially inline with thefshaft 5.

To kthe upper corner ofthe `gate opposite Vto the edge toiwhich the shaftisadjacent,

a cable 15' is secured. `This cable passes over a pulleyl on the edgefofv aicylinderl'iset in the vedge of thecanalandtliencef down into. the .cylinder 4andnndera pulley `18neti tached Eto: a weight 193, 1whichiha-s a fvlltical rod 20 extending above and below then-same,

the lower end of the rod having guide disks 21 thereon and the upper end being marked in any desired standard of measurement, as at 22, to form a gage. The cable 15 after leaviig the pulley .18 passes over a pulleyr23 at the top of the cylinder and terminates in a hook adapted to catch on eyes secured to the wall of the canal, so that the cable may be pulled up short and its length adjusted to help hold the head of water at a predetermined height. The sides of the canal adjacent the edges of the gate are formed with wedge shaped recesses 25 therein, so that wedges may be driven between the wall and the gate to hold the. latter when adjusting the shaft.

The weight 19 will stand at a height equal to the head wanted so that it willbe half immersed, so that the full weight of the same cornes on the cable if the water is low, and a lesserweight if the water is high.

yIhe principle of operationof the device is as follows It will be noted that a greater percentage of the area of the gate is on one side of the shaft than the other. Theoretically, as soon as the water level raises above the intersecting point of the vertical center line of the gate with the center line of the shaft (see Fig. 1) the gate `should start to open, owing to the fact that from that point up the water will exertJ greater pressure on the part of the gate presenting the greater area to one side of the shaft than the other, but practically, due to unavoidable friction of the parts and the holding back effect of the cylinder weight 19, the water will normally stand about at the level of line A on Fig. l before any opening of the gate takes place, which point is about three times the height of said intersecting point.

The amount of opening depends on the quantity of water to be passed, while set for a wanted head.

Should it be desired to have the gate open with a greater or lesser head of water, the shaft may be clamped in one end or the other of the members 10 and 13, thus presenting e greater or lesser area of the gate on one side of the shaft to the force of the water. The bottom of the canal bed slopes down at an angle on the downstream side of the gate, as at @6to allow of the gates opening freely, as it assumes anangular position with relation to the horizon when so opened, as shown in the dotted lines on Fig. 2.

v It is understood of course that while I have shown a rectangular gate, I may use an inverted arch shaped gate or one with sloping sides, depending on the cross section of the canal in which it is to be placed, or as is found most desirable under varying conditions Also, while I have shown a leaning shaft, I may use a vertical one, which would be non-adjustable and on which the gate would turn, in that case making the gate of such a shape would present a greater part of its area to one side of the shaft than the other above a certain point, thus maintaining the principle of operation of my invention.

Thus from the foreUoinCr description it will readily be seen that I have producedV such a device as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice, such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A water gate adapted to be positioned in a canal or in an Vorifice provided in a dam-crest to close the same, and being turnably mounted therein, the axis of the gate being on an angle relative to the vertical center line of the gate and to one side thereof.

2. A water gate adapted to be positioned in a canal or in an orifice provided in a dam-crest to close the same, and being turnably mounted therein, the axis of the gate being on an angle relative Vto the vertical' center line of the gate and to one side thereof, and means whereby such angle may be varied. Y 1

3. In a water gate adapted to be positioned in a canal or in an orifice provided in a dam-crest to close the same, a ball and socket joint between rthe gate andthe bottom wall of the orifice in which it is seated to one side of the vertical center line of the gate, a shaft adjacent the gate pivoted to the same above said ball and socket joint and extending at an angle to the center line thereof and across the same to a bearing above the gate,rsaid shaft being substantially in alinement with the ball and socket joint, and means whereby the angle of the shaft relative to the vertical center line of the gate may be altered.

4l. In a water gate adapted to be positioned in a canal or in an orifice provided in a dam-crest to close the same, a ball and socket joint between the gate and the bottorn wall of the orifice in which it is seated to one side of the vertical center line of the gate, a shaft adjacent the gate pivoted to the same above said ball and socket joint and extending at an angle to the center line ythereof and across the same to a bearing above the gate, said shaft being substantially in alinelnent with the bell zuid socket jont,' and means whereby the angle of the shaft relative to the vertical center line of the gate may be altered, such means including a slotted bal' mounted on the Walls of the gate orifice and above the gate, said guide being curved concentric with the pivotal point of the gate, L collar on the shaft, the same being,Y turnable in the coller, and a stud on the collar projecting into the In testimony whereof I aHX my signature l5 in presence of two Witnesses.

SCOTT M. SAMPSON. lVtnesses z E. J. COOP, OTTO H. DOLLING. 

